Poll Recap: Horses Injured by Dogs

Of the 989 respondents, 731 (74%) responded said they have not had a horse injured by a dog.

Photo: Thinkstock

Dogs might be a mainstay at some barns and stables, however “man’s best friend” isn’t always friendly with horses. In last week’s online poll, we asked our readers if they've ever had a horse injured by a dog. More than 950 people responded, and we’ve tallied the results!

Of the 989 total respondents, nearly three-quarters of respondents (731) said they have not had a horse injured by a dog, while the remaining 258 respondents (26%) said they have had a horse get injured by a dog.

Poll Results

Additionally, more than 80 people left comments about their experiences with horses and dogs.

Many people commented on negative encounters between dogs and horses they've experienced:

“I had a horse badly bitten on the pastern by a herding dog. Bad dog!”

“A dog bit my horse on the muzzle.”

“A yearling filly had her nose torn half off by a stray dog.”

“Our neighbors' cattle dog chased our horse. The horse kicked out, got caught in fence, and died of his injuries.”

“An Aussie cattle dog nipped (my horse's) heel. It was a minor cut that healed quickly, but he now chases dogs!”

“My horse has had many injuries from my dog.”

“A pregnant dog bit my horse on the muzzle.”

“Dogs have killed and maimed my miniature horses.”

“We were attacked by two pitbulls while riding. I went to the hospital, and my horse say the vet. Awful.”

“People let their dogs out at night, (and the dogs) packed up and killed my foal.”

“My horse got a bite on the nose that caused several puncture wounds.”

“We've been threatened out on the trail, but the dogs always back down.”

“A dog chased the horse in a turnout and bit her on the leg.”

“Not my dog, but another punctured my horse's hind leg tendon.”

“My horse had deep incisions on the muzzle from a dog bite.”

“Coon dogs run through our pasture and run our horses. One (horse) ran blind and crashed into the shed.”

“Two horses of mine were attacked ages ago by a dog, who was taken to the pound.”

“I have had horses and clients have accidents (due to) dogs chasing horses.”

“My horse had minor tooth scrapes to a hind leg.”

“Not majorly, but I had a Blue Heeler jump up and bite my horse on the nose.”

“A Queensland Blue Heeler (bit) at the bulbs of my Appaloosa halter horse right before a show.”

“Two loose German Shepherds attacked my Arab on trail. They chewed up his back legs, (but the dogs') owner paid for damage.”

“My mare broke her rear leg kicking at the barn dog where I board.”

Several people said they've had the opposite problem and shared their experiences of dogs getting injured by horses:

“The other way around, yes. The dog did not learn her lesson and went right back to chasing the horses.”

“My dog was kicked in face, but survived and recovered.”

“My dog has been bitten by the horse!”

“No, but I did have a dog injured by a horse. He tried to say hello to her foal.”

“No but my horse has injured a few (dogs).”

“On the contrary. One of my horses killed one of my dogs, a Pointer puppy.”

“I've had a dog seriously injured by a horse!”

“My horse bit my dog.”

“My tough dog has been kicked and stomped when he joined in horseplay, but he is okay.”

“I've had horses injure dogs more than once.”

“I have had a dog get injured by a horse.”

“My horse accidentally stood on the dog's foot and the dog bit the horse's leg.”

Others commented about keeping dogs away from their horses:

“I keep dogs out of my pasture area!”

“I discourage uninvited dogs from my property.”

“I keep dogs away from my horse by any means.”

“No, because I never allow the equids and dog in the same space.”

“My place is fenced so dogs can't get in and I don't allow friend's dogs to play with (my horses).”

“I do not mix my dogs and horses. They're separated by non-climb fencing.”

And a few people said that their horses get along with dogs:

“My dogs are good with horses. Other dogs must be on a leash.”

“All of my dogs are around horses a lot.”

“My Labrador Retriever was as horse crazy as I am. He loved horses, and they loved him.”

“Labs love everyone and everything.”

This week we want to know: What barn wear item are you mostly likely to splurge on to ensure getting a high-quality product? Vote now and share your comments at TheHorse.com!

The results of our weekly polls are published in The Horse Health E-Newsletter, which offers news on diseases, veterinary research, health events, and in-depth articles on common equine health conditions and what you can do to recognize, avoid, or treat them. Sign up for our e-newsletters on our homepage and look for a new poll on TheHorse.com.

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